1. Introducing Witch Baby
Thematic Language and the possibilities of story
If you saw these lines at the beginning of a story, what do you predict will happen in the story? What kind of story will it be?
“Once upon a time…”
“What time are we upon and where do I belong?”
“This is the time we’re upon.”
Why would an author repeat these lines throughout her story?

2. Introducing Witch Baby
Other possibilities
Title Play: What does the title suggest about the story?
Jumpin’ to conclusions: Read the first scene aloud.
Who are these people?
What is happening?
What is going to happen?

3. Do’s and Don’t’s of introducing literature
Just assign text to read.
Immediately hone in on literary elements and make them the reason for reading.
Make literature only a matter of historical, cultural, or authorial analysis.
The text is what matters.
All else follows from it.
Do’s
Read aloud.
Tap into student background.
Begin with writing.
Begin with thematic language exploration apart from the text.
Allow students to explore the text—”thumb through it”
Title play.
Cover play.

4. Visualizing Witch Baby
Scenes prime for visual representation:
WB in the second-hand store (pp or 82-84)
Angel Juan’s tale of Mexico (pp or )
WB meets Vixanne Wigg (pp or )
As a culminating activity, as I read aloud, consider what has come before and after this scene.
What is happening in this scene to WB—physically, emotionally, psychologically?
WB at home with her family (pp or )

5. The Power of Visual Representations
Visual Reps are efforts not only to describe what is in a scene but also what a scene means—they hone our thinking skills.
They’re interpretative acts.
Extending on Visual Reps:
Write about them (consolidate meaning).
Share them (identify common and different insights).
Group and interpret (test out and revise meaning).
Compare across scenes (analyze evolving character and theme development).